all the sparks that you can't hide
by Mia-Zeklos
Summary: elmosolyodni (n.) : to slowly break out into a genuine smile when being overcome with emotions, like love or utter happiness.


**Notes: Happy New Year everyone! I hope it's a great one.**

Making their way through the crowd wasn't easy, but Jace managed it somehow. He was elbowing his way between the people, dragging Alec by the hand until they came as close to the stage as they could be. He surveyed their surroundings carefully, but everyone seemed mundane enough to him – or at least unfamiliar enough for him not to recognise them. They'd brought a sensor just in case, but it hadn't made a sound since they'd left the Institute, for which Jace was grateful. The whole point of coming here had been to escape the Shadow world for just a few hours and the last thing he wanted was for their outing to have to turn into a demon hunt.

"This place is crowded." Alec's voice came from somewhere behind Jace's shoulder and he turned around – not without a bit of difficulty – to face him. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"That's _exactly_ why it's a good idea." Jace could see Alec take in every little detail around them and then give up when he realised by just how _much_ of everything was there. "We're surrounded by mundies, so it's pretty much just us. And we're going to watch the ball drop."

"Do you even know what that is?"

"Not really," Jace conceded. "But I want to know."

And so did Alec, he suspected; at least to some extent. A few days before Christmas he'd mentioned in what was supposed to be a casual way that he'd never seen the mundane celebrations for New Year's Eve in New York and Jace had taken it as an invitation to change that. Once he'd started looking, the main event wasn't really that hard to find and he'd altered his own schedule (and had convinced Alec to do the same) so that they could get out of the far more modest celebrations in the Institute and come here instead. He had to admit that even he hadn't expected the sheer size of both the crowd and the decorations that reigned on the stage in front of them, but when he thought about it, it only made things better. If it was going to be the first New Year's that they spent away from both Idris and the Institute, he wanted it to be as memorable as possible.

"I think we're late." Jace looked up at the clock displayed above them – three minutes left. They'd only managed to get out in the last possible moment and neither of them had predicted just how hectic public transport became when mundanes wanted to gather in the same place at the same time.

"The year hasn't ended yet. I think we're fine."

"How romantic," Jace said absently as the music from whatever band was playing started to quiet down. Even after watching several videos of the same thing happening in the last few years, he still felt that his knowledge was rather insufficient. "You want to come closer?"

"I'm fine here." Alec's hand wrapped around Jace's waist and he pressed himself against his parabatai with a smile. They were both still in their gear and it was far too cold for that, but Jace didn't mind too much. It was almost midnight and he was as happy as he could get, and that was all that mattered. "Look, it's starting."

"Are they really going to count down from an entire minute? What's the-"

"Shh." Jace turned around and pressed one finger against Alec's lips before he could finish. "They're just impatient. We can do it too."

"You're kidding." Jace didn't falter under his parabatai's unimpressed stare.

"Maybe." He didn't necessarily want to join in; just feeling the air buzzing with thousands of voices around him was enough. They were getting closer until just a few seconds remained and Jace mouthed the words to Alec; his lips stretching into a smile as he watched Alec beam at him – a slow, genuine smile that lit up his whole face. Jace was close enough to him that he could watch as the flashing 2017 exploded in a flood of colours on the stage behind them, the light reflected in his parabatai's eyes.

"Happy New Year, Alec," he said, loud enough for Alec to hear him despite the noise and yet quiet enough for it to reach his ears only. "According to mundane tradition, I should kiss you now."

"Mundane traditions make no sense." Alec's smile had got even wider and Jace stepped closer to cover the last inch of space between them.

"No," he agreed as he pulled him down for a kiss. "They don't."


End file.
